The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-07-02
THE TWELyE.WIRED BIRD OF PAR
ADISE.
1Scientific Americana


ADISE.
[Scientific American.
Two years were spent by DIR. +. II.
Guillcmard (lss3-S5), of England, with
his steam yacht,in natural history ex-
plorations in 1<amschatka and New
Guinea, and the results of his observa-
tions are given in two royal volumes,
superbIy illustrated, published last year
in London, entitled "The Cruise OF the
Marchesa." After infinite labor and ex-
penditure Of much time,. he at last
succeeded in securing two or three liv-
ing specimens of that most rare bird,
iSeleucitles nigrice,as, the twelve-wired
bird of paradise. The author says:
"The native prepared skins seen In
European museums give no idea OF the
glorious beauty of the living bird. The
subular plumes, whose prolonged ana
wire-like shafts have given the bird
its English name, are of rich golden
yellow, and the pec,oral shield, when
spread, shows 10 advantage its tipping
OF metallic emerald.
"These exquisite creatures were fed
on the fruit of the pandanus, with an
occasional cock reach Ss OOn,le OOuche.
In devouring the insccls, which they
did by throwing them in the mir and
catching them again, they displayed
the wonderful glass-sreen coloring Of
tho inside of the mouth and throat.
The feelings OF admiration with which
l watched these birds, which are
among the most exquisitely beautiful
of all living beings, need not attempt
to describe. My reader, ii Il naturalist,
will divine them If not, no description
| of mine would over make him realize
the intense pleasure Of the first sight OF
such masterpieces OF coioring."
On another occasion, speaking OF one
of these birds, the author says:
"The bird, u male in full plumago
aud already toierably tame, was
brought in in its bamboo cuge, and
although we had previously seen this
species alive in the aviary of the Resi~
dent of Ternate, we could hardly keep
our eyes off our new acquisition, 80
striking was its beauty.
"He became tame very quickly, and
would readily eat from our hands. BY
day he usually remained more or less
quiet, and was fond Of resting notion
less, with the head sunk low on the
u
ing he moved restlessly from perch to
perch with a peculiar bounding hop.
His manner OF feeding was "'."uef-
fu,,y neat Anv coc,. Zach that ven
tnr,d :-.o his cage he would catch
| 18th lightning rapidity, Selling it
across the body with his long sharp
beak. Then giving it u sudden snap,
he would throw it in the air and catch
It iengthways, displaying the vivid
grass-green coloring of his mouth and
throat in the operation.
"The only note he ever uttered was
a single unmelodious croak. The least
fall in temperature seemed to be felt
by this beautiful creature, aud though
every care was taken of him, he died
before we got beyond the tropics.
"The method employed by the ma
tives of New Guinea in catching the
Seleucides appears almost incredible.
Patiently searching the forest until he
has discovered the usual roasting place
of the bird, the hunter conceals him
self beneath the tree, and having no
ted the exact branch chosen, climbs up
at night aud quietly places a cloth
over his unsuspecting quarry. The
species being exceedingly fond of the
scarlet fruit of the pandanus, the roost-
ing places are easily recognized by the
dejecta. The plan would, perhaps, by
most of US, be regarded as very sitni-
lar 10 that counseled by our nurses,
in which n pinch of salt is the only
requisite hut the noiseless move
ments Of the native hunters over
come all difficulties, and the tree once
discovered, the chances are said to
be considerably against the bird
"Finding the tree is, however, not
so easy, and the month spent by our
natives in the forest resulted in the
capture Of only one bird. -Four days
after our arrival they returned again,
but this time empty handed. They
had discovered a second tree, but one
of tho Alfuros of the interior had in
terfered and shot tue bird with his
blunt arrow.
~In the discussion that ensued our
man got the worst of 1t and retired
from the field, having very narrowly
escaped being added to hia encmy's
bag"
Mans insignificance is thus defined
by the Boston Journal of Commerce:
"Somehow, when Il mans mind hc-
comes really engngr.l--say like that OF
Baron Humbolit-and he Is able to
slo in n,n,n II Il